TOPPING-OUT CEREMONY FOR CAMPUS GERMANY IN DUBAI

GERMAN PAVILION BEGINS TO TAKE SHAPE

Today saw yet another milestone in the construction phase of CAMPUS GERMANY, the German Pavilion at Expo 2020 in Dubai, with a traditional topping-out ceremony taking place less than a year after the groundbreaking ceremony. With less than eight months to go until the Expo opens its doors, construction on the pavilion is moving to the next stage. The exhibition design team are now all set to start finalizing the content, and Koelnmesse are busy selecting staff for the pavilion.

Over the past twelve months, construction workers have spent some 38,350 hours helping to complete the shell of CAMPUS GERMANY. With approximately 480 metric tons of steel within the constructional steelwork and 2,300 cubic metres of concrete now in place, the German Pavilion building on the Expo site is beginning to take shape. “Today’s topping-out ceremony is another milestone on our journey to ensuring CAMPUS GERMANY is finished in time for the opening of the Expo,” explained Dietmar Schmitz, Commissioner General of the German Pavilion. “It’s a tight schedule but I’m hugely impressed by the professional approach being taken to make sure everything is ready on time.” The Swiss company NUSSLI Adunic is responsible for the construction work in Dubai. The architecture and spatial design come from LAVA – Laboratory for Visionary Architecture (Berlin).

Maha Al Gargawi, Vice President, Political Affairs at Expo 2020 Dubai, said: “It is a pleasure to be here today at this important milestone for the Germany Pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai. We look forward to seeing the country’s sustainable innovations come to life at CAMPUS GERMANY and make an important contribution to an unforgettable experience for Expo’s millions of visitors.”

The focus at CAMPUS GERMANY will be on knowledge, research and human interaction – true to the Expo 2020 Dubai theme of “Connecting Minds, Creating the Future”. While work gets underway on the pavilion interior in the next few weeks, Cologne-based agency facts and fiction (responsible for content and exhibits) will start finalizing the details of the exhibition. The displays, in digital and hands-on formats, will showcase German innovations and solutions related to sustainability.

Preparations are in full swing away from the construction site too, with Koelnmesse (the company responsible for organizing and running the German Pavilion) gearing up for Expo 2020 Dubai. Currently, they are in the middle of the recruitment process to find 180 staff to work in the pavilion.

“Our team will have the opportunity to spend 173 days presenting Germany and its sustainability innovations and ideas in an inspiring, international environment. Being a part of this team will be an unforgettable experience for everyone,” said Gerald Böse, President and Chief Executive Officer of Koelnmesse, inviting candidates to apply for the host/hostess roles.

The core team for the German Pavilion is scheduled to move to Dubai at the beginning of September 2020. The completed pavilion will be handed over to Koelnmesse four weeks before the EXPO start date of 20 October 2020, allowing time for the test phase and hands-on training for staff – the basis for smooth operations in and around CAMPUS GERMANY and a once-in-a-lifetime experience for Expo visitors.